Nozzle storage unit

ABSTRACT

A DEVICE FOR STORING A HOSE NOZZLE COMPRISING A SUPPORT MEMBER, AN EXTERNALLY THREADED BRACKET MEMBER ON THE SUPPORT MEMBER FOR THREADABLY RECEIVING A HOSE NOZZLE, AND A PAIR OF APERTURED MEMBERS RESILIENTLY CONNECTED TO THE SUPPORT MEMBER AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AND HOLD A HOSE THROUGH THE APERTURES. THE SUPPORT MEMBER, BRACKET MEMBER, AND APERTURED MEMBERS PREFERABLY ARE CONSTRUCTED FROM A SINGLE PIECE OF SEMI-FLEXIBLE PLASTIC.

June 6, 1972 3. M. FURGUESON NOZZLE STORAGE UNIT Filed July 10, 1970 INVENTOR GEORGE M/CH/IE L Fl/EG'l/ESO/V 12% Ms: WW

TTORNEYS United States Patent Olfice 3,667,712 NOZZLE STORAGE UNIT George Michael Furgueson, Dogwood Drive, Centerhrook, Conn. 06409 Filed July 10, 1970, Ser. No. 53,864 Int. Cl. A47f 5/08, 7/00 US. Cl. 248-75 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a device for holding and storing hose nozzles.

An inconvenience in the use of hoses, such as hoses for household and garden use, is the misplacement of the nozzle when it is removed for temporary replacement with an automatic sprinkler or other implement. Although a variety of brackets are available for fixing a nozzle to various surfaces in order to avoid loss, such as the wall adjacent the faucet to which the hose is attached, such placements are often far removed from the area of use of the hose and therefore are sources of inconvenience.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved nozzle storage unit useful for holding and storing a nozzle at any place the nozzle is removed from the hose so that not only will the nozzle not be lost but it will be conviently available for reattachment to the end of the hose.

Another object is to provide a new and improved nozzle storage unit which is simple in construction and economical to manufacture.

A further object is to provide a new and improved nozzle storage unit which may be afiixed to vertical or horizontal surfaces.

Still other objects, features and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the specification.

The invention accordingly comprises an article of manufacture or device possessing the features, properties and the relation of elements which will be exemplified in the article hereinafter described and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

In brief summary, the invention provides a combination nozzle support and bracket for attaching the nozzle storage unit to a hose or to a vertical or horizontal surface. The nozzle storage unit comprises a support member, an externally threaded bracket member on the support member for threadably receiving a hose nozzle, and a pair of apertured members resiliently connected to the support member and adapted to receive and hold a hose through the apertures. In a preferred embodiment, the support member, externally threaded bracket member, and apertured members are constructed from a single piece of a semi-flexible material such as plastic.

With reference to the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, partly in outline and partly fragmentary, of a nozzle storage unit of the invention in which the unit is shown afiixed to a surface;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view, partly in outline and partly fragmentary, showing another position of use;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a nozzle storage unit of the invention; and

3,667,712 Patented June 6, 1972 FIG. 4 is a side elevation of a nozzle storage unit of the invention.

As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, a nozzle storage unit 11 of the invention comprises a support member 13 centrally positioned between a pair of apertured end members 15 and 17. Mounted on, or constructed unitary with, support member 13 is a bracket member 19 which is externally threaded for screw connection to the internally threaded end 22 of a conventional nozzle 20, as clearly illustrated in FIG. 2. As also shown in FIG. 2, apertured members 15 and 17 are resiliently connected to support member 13 so that they can be bent to form an axial passage therethrough for insertion of a hose 24. The apertures of members 15 and 17 preferably are slightly wider in diameter than a hose so that the members 15 and 17 can be fitted easily over an end of the hose.

The storage unit 11 preferably is constructed from a single piece of material, such as plastic, rubber or metal, which convieniently is flexible or semi-flexible throughout. However, support member 13 is given additional strength for attachment of bracket member 19 if the entire storage unit 11 is constructed from a semi-rigid plastic material. In this case, the bendability of apertured members 15 and 17 is improved by partial slits or cuts 15a, 15b, 17a and 17b.

In another embodiment of the invention, the support member and apertured end members may be cut or stamped from a rigid material such as metal plate or rigid plastic and hinge means provided between the apertured end members and the central support member to permit the end members to be bent or moved towards each other for axial passage of a hose through the apertures. In this instance, however, additional means must be provided to make the apertured end members resiliently engages hose 24, such as spring loaded hinges.

By suitable choice of the material of construction, bracket member 19 may be molded unitary with support member 13 and apertured end members 15 and 17. Alternatively, bracket member 19 may be riveted, screwed, or grommeted, or otherwise affixed to support member 13.

As shown in FIG. 2, in operation the storage unit 11 is conveniently and movably afiixed to a hose 24 by bending end members 15 and 17 towards each other to form a passage for the hose and then inserting an end of the hose. When released, the resiliency of end members 15 and 17 provides frictional engagement with the hose sufiicient to prevent undue movement along the hose. However, by simple pinching together of end members 15 and 17, storage unit 11 may be moved in either direction on hose 24. Hose nozzle 20 is then screwed onto bracket member 19 where it is held until removed. Preferably, storage unit 11 is fastened to the hose near the point of connection of nozzle 20 to the hose when the nozzle is in use. When it is desired to remove or replace the nozzle, the nozzle is simply connected to the bracket member 19 of the storage unit where it remains until removed.

Alternatively, storage unit 11 may be perforated or provided with holes 21 and 23 at various points such as in support member 13 for insertion of fixing means such as nails 28 and 30 to fasten the storage unit to a surface 26 such as a wood surface in a garage or the side of a house. This alternate fixed position of the storage unit of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 1.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above article without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A nozzle storage unit comprising a generally flat support member, an externally threaded bracket member mounted on said support member for threadably receiving a hose nozzle, and a pair of generally fiat apertured members resiliently connected to said support member on opposed edges thereof, said apertured members being adapted to receive a hose through both of said apertures whereby said nozzle is attached to and stored on said hose.

2. The nozzle storage unit of claim 1 wherein said support member is unitary with said apertured members.

3. The nozzle storage unit of claim 1 wherein said apertured members and said support member are unitarily constructed of a semi-flexible material.

4. The nozzle storage unit of claim 1 wherein said support member is unitary with said apertured members and said apertured members are partially slit at their points of connection to said support member for bending of said apertured members with respect to said support member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,239,485 9/1917 Heywood 248l74 2,851,823 9/ 1958 Peterson 248-156 X 3,169,005 2/ 1965 Wallach 24874 3,180,599 4/1965 Nestor 248--75 3,181,975 5/1965 Albrecht 24874 PB 3,231,954 2/1966 Woskin 24-245 FF 20 CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 2482l4 

